No prison for secret York Co. bathroom camera

A judge sentenced Douglas Veihdeffer, 61, to two years probation Monday after Veihdeffer pleaded guilty to voyeurism when he placed a camera in his bathroom as landlord to record women using the toilet and shower. Veihdeffer apologized in court. T

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A judge sentenced Douglas Veihdeffer, 61, to two years probation Monday after Veihdeffer pleaded guilty to voyeurism when he placed a camera in his bathroom as landlord to record women using the toilet and shower. Veihdeffer apologized in court. T

York Co. landlord put camera in the bathroom. He won’t go to prison.

Douglas Eugene Veihdeffer admitted Monday in court that he put a camera in the bathroom of a home he rented. Despite prosecutors and the victim saying Veihdeffer deserved time behind bars, Veidheffer will not go to prison.

“This defendant put a camera in a restroom to watch women take a shower and use the bathroom,” said Sharon Kopp, 16th Circuit assistant solicitor.

Judge Dan Hall sentenced Veihdeffer, 61, of Rock Hill, to two years probation after Veihdeffer pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor count of voyeurism. The charge carries a maximum of three years in prison. Hall suspended the three-years sentence.

Veihdeffer also must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and can have no contact with the victims, Hall said.

Veideffer is a father and grandfather who worked at two auto parts stores in York County after moving from western New York to South Carolina about a decade ago.

“I’m sorry this ever happened,” Veihdeffer said in court. “I apologize for the trouble.”

In April of 2017, cameras were recovered in the bathroom of a home owned and rented by Veihdeffer. The bathroom was used by women, including the tenant’s sister and others, Kopp said. The victims were in court but did not speak.

Kopp said the victims and prosecutors believe Veihdeffer should serve prison time for egregious violations of spying on women. One victim was the sister of a tenant, whom Veihdeffer had known more than 10 years, Kopp said.

Veihdeffer’s lawyer, Gary Lemel, said Veihdeffer had no criminal record and “made a bad choice,” by putting the camera in the bathroom. Lemel asked for no prison time.

Hall said putting Veihdeffer in prison would “not benefit” the state of South Carolina or the victims.